Source: Theguardian.comBy David SmithElephant deaths in Tanzania have risen dramatically since the government abandoned a shoot-to-kill policy against poachers, officials admit.Lazaro Nyalandu, the deputy minister of natural resources and tourism, said 60 elephants were "butchered" in November and December, compared with two in October.Soldiers, police, game rangers and forestry officers had been involved in a month-long crackdown on poachers, codenamed Operation Terminate, in October. But the operation was suspended after an inquiry by MPs uncovered a litany of arbitrary murder, rape, torture and extortion of innocent people.Mizengo Pinda, the prime minister, told Reuters: "The anti-poaching operation had good intentions, but the reported murders, rapes and brutality are totally unacceptable."The inquiry's findings – including the killing of 13 civilians and arrest of more than 1,000 people – led to the sacking of the tourism minister Khamis Kagasheki, who had called for perpetrators of the illicit ivory trade to be executed "on the spot",as well as the defence minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, the home affairs minister Emmanuel Nchimbi and the livestock development minister David Mathayo.Nyalandu said that, with the operation on hold, the government would appeal to foreign donors to help Tanzania's wildlife department and ranger service. "Those to be approached include the European Union and Asian countries," he was quoted as saying in media reports. "Asian countries are reportedly the main consumers of elephant tusks and byproducts."There is huge demand for elephant tusks in many Asian countries, where they are used to make ornaments. In August 2011, Tanzanian authorities seized more than 1,000 elephant tusks hidden in sacks of dried fish at Zanzibar port and destined for Malaysia.Recent research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 22,000 elephants were killed in 2012 and Africa will lose one-fifth of its elephants in the next decade if the poaching crisis is not arrested. There were around 10m African elephants at the start of the 20th century, but that number has fallen to 500,000 owing to poaching and habitat loss. More....

Source: News.yahoo.comTanzania has been hit by a sharp upsurge in poaching, with at least 60 elephants killed in the two months since the government was forced to halt a controversial crackdown, a senior official said.This month Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete sacked four top ministers amid accusations that the anti-poaching drive -- codenamed 'Operation Tokomeza', or 'Operation Terminate' -- had led to security forces carrying out a wave of killings as well as torture and rape.But Deputy Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Lazaro Nyalandu signalled that the draconian operation, in force during October, had at least resulted in a drop in poaching."During the entire period of the operation only two elephants were reportedly killed, while 60 were butchered between November 1 and December 28," the deputy minister said late Sunday.He said the east African nation, home to the world famous Serengeti national park, would now approach foreign governments and institutions for help on how to proceed."Those to be approached include the European Union and Asian countries. Asian countries are reportedly main consumers of elephant tusks and by-products," Nyalandu said, adding that Tanzania's wildlife department and ranger service needed to be strengthened.The anti-poaching operation saw the security forces operating under a shoot-to-kill policy and making sweeping arrests.Poaching has risen sharply in Africa in recent years. Besides targeting rhinos, whole herds of elephants have been massacred for their ivory -- threatening the tourism sector, a key foreign currency earner for Tanzania.

Source: Za.news.yahoo.comBy Desiree Otshepeng RapulaElephants are flooding into Botswana as refugees from violent conflict and poaching, said founder of Elephants Without Borders, Mike Chase in an interview with the Sunday Standard. Elephant poaching in Africa is a growing problem across the continent, but particularly in countries where political conflict and violence is rife he said. According to Chase, Botswana is feeling the impact of poaching in Africa as tens of thousands of the beasts make their way to the country to escape danger, he said he believes only around 40% of the elephants in Botswana are native to the country, while around 80 000 are “political refugees”. Thousands of animals fled from the south-east of Angola where elephants were massacred for their ivory and for meat to feed troops during the long and brutal civil war in that country. According to Chase as peace returns to Angola, so is the native elephant population who somehow sense it is now safe to go home. But despite this Botswana is still struggling under the burden of the refugee population: “We are talking about an animal that eats 250kg of food a day”, he said, adding that the beasts are decimating the country’s vegetation, destroying crop fields and escalating conflicts with communities of Northern Botswana. According to Chase the problem is not only from Angola but also neighbouring Zambia and Zimbabwe where poachers are forcing elephants to seek refuge in Botswana. “We are currently losing an elephant every minute in Africa,” he said, warning that we may be seeing the highest elephant mortality rate in history. Environment Wildlife and Tourism Minister, Tshekedi Khama said the government had adopted a “shoot-to-kill” policy against to poachers as a radical measure to illuminate the mass slaughter of elephants in the country. According to Chase the real solution however is to solve political conflict in Africa. He said, based on research from his PhD on elephant migration patterns, once armed conflict and poaching in Africa are dealt with the the elephants currently roaming Botswana will return to their homelands, and Botswana will be left with a much smaller elephant population. More....

Source: Southerneye.co.zwBy Silas NkalaA Zimparks ranger was last Thursday locked up in remand prison for allegedly ordering his junior to shoot dead a suspected poacher who had tried to run away after being apprehended.

Tafireyi Mailani (30) of Magazo area under Chief Sai in Gokwe South was not asked to plead to murder when he appeared before Gokwe resident magistrate Shepherd Mjanja and was remanded in custody to December 19. He advised him to apply for bail at the High Court. Prosecutor Mandla Ndlovu told the court that on January 5 2008 Mailani was in charge of a team of Zimparks rangers which was tracking poachers that had killed a buffalo at Chirisa Game Park. They were trying to locate one who was suspected to have killed a buffalo. They met a man who directed them where they could apprehend their suspect. When they approached the suspect, those with him took to their heels and the State alleges that Mailani ordered a junior officer, Kinos Ndiguneyi, to shoot Daniel Dube, who was among those who took to their heels. Dube died on the way to hospital and Ndiguneyi was later arrested. Mailani had been spared arrest until it recently emerged that he was in charge of the team and was the one who ordered Ndiguneyi to shoot Dube and was arrested last month.

Source: Sundaystandard.infoBy Khonani OntebetseEnvironment Wildlife and Tourism Minister, Tshekedi Khama says the government has adopted a "shoot-to-kill" policy against to poachers as a radical measure to curb the mass slaughter of elephants in the country. Speaking in an interview with Sunday Standard at the end of Africa Elephant Summit that was held in Gaborone , Khama said the shoot to kill policy has proved to be an effective deterrent as it sends a clear message to poachers that they would be shot dead on the spot when caught red handed. “These poachers break many laws when they enter our country.

Firstly they come armed with military weapons and secondly they enter the country at non gazetted points. Thirdly they engage in poaching which is illegal,’ said Khama. Asked if the move is not likely to create diplomatic tensions in the event that foreign poachers die during exchange of fire with anti poaching agents, Khama said neighbouring countries are aware of the “shoot and kill” stance that has been adopted by Botswana. “These people do not only shoot elephants but also other species. If they decide not to surrender and try to fight their way out, we will shoot them,” he said.

The Environment Wildlife and Tourism Minister explained that if Botswana did not adopt the shoot to kill policy, which he described as an effective deterrent the country will lose a number of elephants to poachers. On suggestions that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts like other offenders instead of being executed without trial, Khama insisted that it is unfortunate that the shoot to kill policy has proved to be an effective deterrent. “Unfortunately it is what is working at the moment,” he said. Khama said recorded cases of Batswana being involved in poaching are very few adding that they were responding positively to the education on the disadvantages of poaching.

“It is not the route that we would like to take but we have no choice because we believe that this is an effective deterrent. Poachers who enter Botswana for purposes of poaching should be aware that they will lose their lives,” he warned. Khama said he was aware that human rights defenders and international conservationists are likely to condemn Botswana’s stance that perpetrators of the illicit ivory trade be executed "on the spot" but said that “no, personally as Tshekedi I do not subscribe to the notion that the shoot to kill is not a good practice.”

Khama said poachers undergo training and security agents should also be equipped with the necessary resources to match them. He said tourism plays an important role in the country’s economy hence the need to protect wildlife against poaching. “When a person enters the country at a non-gazetted point and carrying military weapons, he is breaking the law and he must be harshly punished,” he said.

Source: NZherald.co.nzBy Erick Kabendrea, Michael McCarthy, Tom PeckThe number of African elephants killed by hunters and poachers has soared to 52,000 a year, sparking key ivory-trade nations into action. This week, they agreed on urgent measures to protect the majestic giants.In Swahili, "tokomeza" means to terminate. When Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete launched Operation Tokomeza, with its shoot-to-kill orders to deal with elephant poachers, he wasn't mincing his words. In the latter part of the 20th century, the same policy had been the key initiative in temporarily stopping the decimation of East Africa's herds. Introducing it to Tanzania was not a step to be taken lightly. But a crisis point had been reached. The President warned the country's MPs that the population of elephants now stood at just 15 per cent of the 350,000 there were 20 years ago. The country's porous borders, lack of enough scanners at the country's biggest port and poor ocean patrols have led to it becoming a poaching hub. It is hard to know who is involved in the highest level of poaching, because these people have ivory-processing factories and they collect ivory from all over the world, says Tanzanian Government spokesman Karamaga Canisius. "We don't have specific names due to the lack of a mechanism to trace containers." For example, a container is loaded in Tanzania with ivory, shipped to South Africa, where more ivory is loaded, shipped back to Tanzania in transit and then heads to Dubai, and so forth. Most seizures from Africa seem to have come from Tanzania because of how the network operates. But it is clear that most of the consignments are destined for Asia, especially China and Vietnam. So this week, key countries in the movement of illegal ivory around the world agreed on urgent measures to halt the illegal trade and secure elephant populations across Africa. Meeting in Botswana at the first-ever summit to focus on the entire ivory value chain, they agreed on 14 measures including classifying wildlife trafficking as a serious crime. This will unlock international law enforcement co-operation provided by the UN, such as mutual legal assistance, asset seizure and forfeiture, extradition and other tools to hold criminals accountable. The measures were agreed on by key African elephant-range states, including Gabon, Kenya, Niger and Zambia, ivory transit states including Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia and ivory destination states such as China and Thailand. "Our window of opportunity to tackle the growing illegal ivory trade is closing and if we do not stem the tide, future generations will condemn our unwillingness to act," said President Ian Khama of Botswana. More....

Source: Motherboard.vice.comBy Derek MeadThis week, key nations along the illegal ivory trade route met in Botswana and agreed to implement a host of new measures aimed at stemming the trade. But agreements to crack down on the ivory trade have been made before; the trade is illegal, after all. With around 22,000 African elephants killed last year, what does the new agreement offer? The agreement made between 30 nations, including African host countries like Kenya, and Zambia; ivory trafficking hubs like Vietnam and Malaysia; and demand countries like China and Thailand, came at the first African Elephant Summit, which was touted by the IUCN, which hosted the meeting, as being "the first-ever meeting focusing on the dynamics of the entire ivory value chain." That's important because comprehensive action is need if skyrocketing poaching rates can be slowed. (And it must be, at current rates, as much as 20 percent of African elephants could be killed in the next decade, after two-thirds of Africa's forest elephants were killed in the last one.) As the poaching trade now mirrors the drug war in many ways, localized action—even threatening to shoot poachers on sight—won't stop poachers and traders from expanding elsewhere. But the international sale of ivory has already been banned since 1989, and at this year's CITES conference, countries involved in the wildlife trade already agreed to make progress or face sanctions. Yet poaching does not appear to be slowing. The new measure hopes to break the impasse with 14 urgent measures agreed upon by all the signatories. While some of them don't appear to be more than diplomatic fluff—Urgent Measure 11 says the countries agree to "develop and implement strategies to eliminate the illegal trade in ivory," which is kind of the whole point—but there are a few positive steps outlined in the agreement.Zero tolerance approach The first measure agreed upon is key: All parties will "secure and report on maximum, and therefore deterrent, sentences for wildlife crime using a combination of existing laws and strengthened regulatory frameworks." Hopefully, streamlined regulations can make authorities' job easier in making arrests. But considering the fact that even a big bust doesn't prevent elephants from being killed in the first place, the deterrent effect of stricter penalties—if there is one, which is a big "if"—may be of even bigger importance.Make wildlife trafficking a national security issue Measure 4 advocates for getting countries' national security officials involved in fighting the trade. This is a line the US has trumpeted as of late, and could be a key path to getting more resources for anti-trafficking efforts. More....

Source: Apanews.netBotswana’s Environment Tourism and Wild Tshekedi Khama on Wednesday told international delegates that the government has adopted a shoot-to-kill policy in a bid to curb the poaching of elephants in the country’s wildlife. Speaking at the ongoing African summit on elephants in Gaborone, Tshekedi said those who enter Botswana for purposes of poaching should be aware that they may be killed by the country's anti-poaching squadrons who had been mandated to shoot poachers on sight.

International Union Conversation of Nature Director General Julkia Matorn Lefevre said to alleviate the current crisis of ivory trafficking countries should invest in equipment for those in the frontline of combating the trafficking in ivory.

The order to shoot poachers comes amidst fears that the increasing demand for tusk is creating a precarious situation for African elephants whose populations could dwindle to a few thousands in the next few years.

An estimated 22,000 elephants were killed illegally across Africa in 2012, slightly lower than the 25,000 poached in 2011.

The situation is said to be particularly acute in Central Africa where the estimated poaching rate is twice the continental average.

Source: Independent.co.ukBy Erick Kabendera In Kiswahili tokomeza means terminate. When the Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete launched Operation Tokomeza, with its shoot-to-kill orders to deal with elephant poachers, he wasn’t mincing his words. In the later part of the twentieth century the same policy had been the key initiative in temporarily stopping the decimation of East Africa’s herds after Kenya was forced to adopt the same extreme measure. Introducing it to Tanzania was one no country could take lightly. But a crisis point had been reached. As the President warned the country’s MPs, the population of elephants had been decimated, now standing at just the 15 per cent of the 350,000 there were some 20 years ago. Even four years ago there were believed to be twice as many elephants as there are today.The country’s porous borders, absence of customs at most exit points, lack of enough scanners at the country’s biggest port and poor ocean patrols have led to the country becoming a poaching hub.“It is very hard for us to know who is involved in the highest level of poaching before ivory is taken to the market because these are people with ivory processing factories and they collect ivory from all over the world,” said Tanzania’s Natural Resources and Tourism Ministry’s Principal Game Officer, Karamaga Canisius. “We don’t have specific names due to lack of a mechanism to trace containers.“For example, a container is loaded in Tanzania with ivory, shipped to South Africa where more ivory is loaded, shipped back to Tanzania on transit and then heads to Dubai and so forth. Most seizures from Africa seem to have come from Tanzania because of how the network operates. But it is clear that most of the consignments are destined for Asia, especially China and Vietnam.”Civil society activists and opposition politicians have complained of slow prosecution of poachers who have been taken to court even when all the evidence has been provided. Rumours abound about powerful businesspeople with high political connections to be the masterminds of ivory trade.Unsurprisingly this is something Karamaga would not comment on. “We have for years hosted refugees from DRC, Rwanda, Somalia and other neighbouring countries who smuggle in weapons which are in return used for poaching,” he stressed. “But the biggest challenge for us in intensifying the anti-poaching campaign is having enough game wardens and weapons to fight poachers.” More....

Source: Blogs.telegraph.co.ukBy Sean Thomas Like most seven-year-olds, my daughter Lucy loves the big African animals. The waddling hippo, the stately giraffe, the gloriously prehistoric rhinoceros. So she was duly excited when I told her I was off to Zambia to see these creatures last month.And see them I did. All except one. The rhino. The reason I didn’t see any rhino in Zambia is because there are no rhinos in Zambia (apart from a few reintroduced specimens kept in a box by German zoologists). There are, literally, none. Not one. Rhino count: zero. Perhaps the absence of rhinos in Zambia is down to the fact that there weren’t many in the first place? Nope. In the 1970s Zambia had Africa’s third largest rhino population: 12,000. But through the 80s and 90s these were all shot for their precious horns. And this slaughter was and is done in the most disgusting ways: for brutal images see here and here (warning: very graphic images). In about 2005 the poachers must have butchered the very last rhino in Zambia – like the man who cudgeled the last dodo on Mauritius. One wonders what went through their minds as they did it? Perhaps nothing, as they are villainous morons. Sound like I’m angry? I am. It takes the enormous absence of a great animal to realise the enormity of its extinction. The annihilation of Zambian rhino was just a staging post: the obliteration of this remarkable animal is accelerating. Rhinos have been poached to near-oblivion in most countries in the world, from Java to Kenya. Six days ago, one subspecies, the black western rhino, was declared extinct. The last great redoubt of the rhino is South Africa, where 22,000 are thought to survive: 80-90 per cent of the global population. More....

Source: Phys.orgPolice in the semi-autonomous Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar on Wednesday said they had seized a 40-foot (12-metre) container hiding an estimated several tonnes' worth of ivory.

The seizure comes as authorities in Tanzania crack down on poaching amid a surge of killings of elephant and rhino in the east African nation. "This is unacceptable, we must end this problem," said Tanzanian Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Khamis Kagasheki, who travelled to Zanzibar after the seizure. "This is serious, let us join forces to save our natural resources," said the minister as police officers searched the container. It was not clear where the container was destined for. Police estimated that several tonnes of ivory were stashed in the container but said they would only be able to give the exact weight of the tusks, as well as the origin and destination of the ivory, once they finished unpacking it. Kagasheki warned that if authorities were unable to find the owner, the agents who cleared the container on its arrival in Zanzibar's main port would be held accountable. "How did ivory manage to be transported to Zanzibar for reshipment?" Kagasheki said. Zanzibar police chief Mussa Ali Mussa said two workers from a local clearing agent, which he refused to name, had been taken into custody. In August 2011, at the same port, police seized 1,041 elephant tusks hidden in a shipment of anchovies heading for Malaysia. More....

Source: Monitor.co.ugBy Steven Ariong The move, according to the UPDF 3rd division commander, Brig James Lakara Nakibus, will help stop Karimojong cattle rustlers from crossing into Kenya for cattle raids.The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Third division commander has directed the Kenyan intelligent team “to shoot to kill” any Karimojong rustlers who crosses into Kenya to raid cattle. Brig James Lakara Nakibus, who also hails from Karamoja region, argued that shooting to kill any Karimojong who engages in cattle rustling is the “only choice left to get rid of the few Karimojong” who continue to raid the neighboring districts despite several warnings given by government. He made the remarks on Friday at the peace meeting between the Turkana of Kenya and the Karimojong held in Moroto District. “Don’t waste time to arrest any Karimojong rustler who has come to raid your animals, just shoot to kill whatever number they are. This would be the lesson for them to stop crossing to raid animals in Kenya,” Brig Lakara said. “If you had finished that entire 190 group that had crossed to raid animals in Turkana last month, by now we would not be having another group of rustlers,” he said. Need to maintain peaceBrig Lakara told the meeting attended by deputy governor of Turkana county Mr Peter Ekai that the semblance of peace experienced in the region following a near successful disarmament should be maintained and hence the call for the shoot to kill method. The deputy governor of Turkana county, Mr Peter Ekai, applauded Uganda for its effort in the disarmament exercise, which he said, has resulted into peace and opened development among the two neighbouring countries. He said the success of disarmament exercise by Uganda government has created a room to Kenya government which is now in preparations to establish its migration office along the border of Moroto.

Source: AllAfrica.comBy Isaac MwangiThe shocking discovery of 706 tusks of ivory in Tanzania on 1 November was significant in more ways than one. First, the seizure of the 1.9-tonne haul from the home of three Chinese traders underscored the need to make the fight against ivory smuggling an international affair, and to seek the Chinese government's intervention in the same way that China is known to take drug smuggling very seriously. Second, following criticism of a shoot-to-kill campaign against poachers for which Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Khamis Kagasheki has been heavily criticized, the seizure served to blunt the accusations. "I admit that there is an ugly side in the operation, but what is happening now in arresting culprits and impounding tusks is part of the success of the operation," he said as he declined to step down from office. Critics say the campaign against poachers is being used to harass and intimidate innocent pastoralists, giving as it does a carte blanche for the police to kill at will. The issue of hunting also came to the fore, and that's a good thing. As Tanzania fights poachers, this is an opportune time to also reconsider the matter of legalised hunting, which may also provide a cover for poachers. Isn't it time this was disallowed in the country's laws completely or the least, ban hunting for say at least 20 years or more? But there is a more interesting debate that these recent events bring to the fore: the matter of the death penalty. Do poachers deserve death? What about corrupt politicians and civil servants whose actions cannot be described as anything less than sabotage - do they deserve to live? More....

Source: Skynews.com.auThree Chinese nationals have been charged in Tanzania for possessing 706 tusks from poached elephants, court officials say.Police and wildlife officers have cracked down on suspected poachers amid a surge of killings of elephants and rhinos in the east African nation, operating under what was reported to be a shoot-to-kill policy and making sweeping arrests.The three accused - Huang Gin, Xu Fujie and Chen Jinzhan - were arrested a week ago in the port city of Dar es Salaam. They had hidden the tusks, weighing 1.8 tonnes and worth an estimated $US3.1 million ($A3.29 million), in containers.Police and court officials said the trio were posing as garlic importers and marine product exporters. Magistrate Isaya Arufani denied them bail and ordered the case be heard in the high court.'This court lacks jurisdiction to preside over the case which is prosecuted under organised crime and economic sabotage,' the magistrate said. The trio face a maximum sentence of 20 years if found guilty.The lucrative Asian black market for rhino horn, used in traditional medicine, and ivory has driven a boom in poaching across Africa.Tourism is a key foreign currency earner for Tanzania, especially wildlife safaris to its world-famous parks that include the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater.On Thursday President Jakaya Kikwete told parliament that a controversial anti-poaching operation - dubbed 'Operation Tokomeza', or 'Operation Terminate' - would continue despite protests over reports that police and wildlife officers were operating a shoot-to-kill policy. More....

Tanzania will continue a controversial anti-poaching operation, President Jakaya Kikwete said Thursday, overturning a suspension following reports of rampant human rights abuses including torture and killing of suspects. Police and wildlife officers have cracked down on suspected poachers amid a surge of killings of elephant and rhino in the east African nation, operating under what was reported to be a shoot-to-kill policy and making sweeping arrests."We are going to rectify such mistakes and take to task culprits, and later continue with the mission to fight poachers and protect elephants from imminent extinction," Kikwete told parliament.The campaign, launched two months ago, was dubbed "Operation Tokomeza", or "Operation Terminate".Parliament suspended the operation last week after lawmakers alleged a string of abuses including killings during the campaign.But Kikwete said abandoning the operation was tantamount to letting the poachers win, and that the efforts must continue, warning that animals were being slaughtered at alarming rates.However, he said the government was aware of widespread complaints of human right abuses, including reports of security forces beating civilians, and that they would be investigated. More....

Source: Greenpacks.orgTanzania has a severe poaching problem when it comes to elephants. Some estimates show 70 jumbo elephants are poached every day for their ivory tusks. Needless to say, the population of elephants is Tanzania is being decimated. Poachers often have the latest in equipment that allows them to effortlessly take down the largest of elephants, quickly remove their tusks and flee the area to avoid detection. They are also backed by international organized crime syndicates that can feed the large black market in illegal ivory trade.Not only is it hard to catch the poachers, but punishing them if often very difficult. The crime syndicates hire the best defense lawyers that a seemingly endless supply of money can buy. There is allegedly bribery that results in small sentences or even cases being dropped. Trials can also stretch out for an extremely long time, effectively giving the poachers a much better chance of acquittal. The poaching is affecting Tasmania’s [sic\ tourist industry which results in hurting the country’s economy. Tasmanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Amb. Khamis Kagasheki has come up with a way to help deliver a strong message to the poachers. He addressed participants of the Elephant March, organized by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators and explained his plan: “Execute the killers (poachers) on the spot.” While he expects a lot of flak from human rights groups, Amb. Kagasheki expects this bold move to at least reduce the poaching. Poachers may be more wary of killing elephants and may move on to less dangerous criminal activity. The poachers are notorious for also killing people who might see or inadvertently come across and witness them committing these atrocious killings just for the ivory. I know for a fact that any elephant poachers who are caught in the act Under Amb. Kagasheki ‘s new instructions will not be able to kill anymore elephants or people in the future .

Other reports say eight pastoralists from Orbomba Village in Longido District have not been seen since they were arrested last week.

The anti-poaching campaign in the country has come under sharp criticism following reports of widespread human rights abuses, including the killing of a woman believed to have died at the hands of officers of the anti-poaching unit--which is comprised of the police, the army and intelligence officers.

Emaliana Gasper Maro, 46, is reported to have been snatched from her house by people who identified themselves as anti-poachers. They said they wanted to question the resident of Galapo in Babati, Mara Region. This came only a few days after they reportedly grabbed her husband, Elias Kibuga, 56. Mr Kibuga has not been seen since but Emiliana’s body was found at Mrara hospital mortuary in Babati. Scores others are missing. The officers are also said to have burnt houses and are reported to be holding large herds belonging to pastoralists in Arusha region. The government has reportedly been urged to stop the exercise and ensure that lives and property are respected. Yesterday, the government came under attack from MPs in Parliament over claims of widespread abuse of human rights. The Manyara region police commander, Mr Akili Mpwapwa, confirmed the reports but said an ongoing investigation would unearth the truth. “I have received reports of the death of Emaliana and the investigations have started,” Mr Mpwapwa said. The results of a post-mortem that was jointly carried out by the police and the family doctor have not been made public.A total of 27 pastoralists and 2,169 livestock are being held by the anti-poaching unit, according to the coordinator of the Tanzania Pastoralist Community Forum, Mr Joseph ole Parsambei. More....

There has been a lot of hype, wild speculation, and exaggerated stories on the issue of the poisoning of the elephant. There are some points I would like to raise on this and other issues, and set the record straight: 1) The total number of elephant poisoned stands at 103 – 84 at Makona/Jozivanini, 8 in Ngamo Forest and 11 at Guvalala. This is the final count of an extensive aerial survey conducted by WEZ ( Wildlife and Environmental Society of Zimbabwe) in conjunction with Parks. This bears out the figure reported by Parks, and can be taken as a true reflection, give or take a few. 2) The Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere and the Parks staff need to be commended on their reaction – strong and uncompromising, and they have been very transparent and did not try to conceal anything. Sentencing has been swift and satisfactory – one poacher arrested on a Sunday got 15 years on the following Wednesday! A very strong message has been sent out! 3) The Minister has also set up a an advisory trust of respected and well known conservationists and businessmen to advise and help in Hwange, and the results are already coming in – vehicles donated etc. Strict controls being introduced on equipment. 4) The Guvalala poaching lead to the arrest of a well known elephant and rhino poacher, who has been politically protected in the past. He has fingered his Chinese middleman under interrogation. We wait to see what materialises in this case! 5) I find it unfortunate that the media has made headlines out of wildly exaggerated stories of the number of dead elephant, with no bearing on what is the reality on the ground. They tend to quote an unreliable source out of Harare, known for wildly sensational stories and Parks bashing, which generally have little relevance to the truth. This is where the 300 poisoned elephants suddenly came from! I feel the media should make a greater effort to report factually, and use more reliable sources. More....

I caught up with the wildlife activist on his return to South Africa from Singapore, where he’d been lecturing Asian delegates on the plight of the world’s rhino.

Colin Bell, one of South Africa’s foremost specialists in the wildlife industry explains why rhino will be extinct in 10 years if we don’t act now.

In a new twist to the poaching saga that’s had activists up in arms, Bell says South Africa must ban anything to do with hunting – especially of rhino – which would effectively turn the South African game farming industry on its head.

Asked what he thinks about government’s stance, he says, “I think Edna Molewa is being given incorrect advice from people including vets, game farmers and businessmen who’s thinking and suggestions are no longer valid in a consumer society.”

It’s an astounding statement, but Bell firmly believes South Africa is driving the ivory and rhino horn trade.

ADVICE FROM ASIA

One evening, after a lecture, Bell was taken aside by a prominent Asian official and given some illuminating advice.

The number of elephants that have died from drinking out of a cyanide-poisoned watering hole in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park is now at least 325, a wildlife conservation group said Monday. The government’s official count is only at 100, leading conservationists to believe that many high-level Zimbabwean politicians and businessmen have a greedy hand in the illegal ivory trade.“In July, around 300 elephants had died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange and were discovered by a group of hunters who flew over the area,” Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force told AFP. “The authorities only stepped in in September and by then the numbers had escalated. As of last week, about 325 had died altogether.”Last week, the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Authority announced that only 100 elephants have been poisoned this year. Only four poachers have been jailed, each of them sentenced to 15 or more years of jail-time.Rodrigues believes the authorities are downplaying the toll because they’re somehow involved in the illegal global ivory trade, which generates an estimated $10 billion per year. Given Zimbabwe’s corrupt government history — for example, the supposedly “democratic” nation has been dictated by President Robert Mugabe for 33 years — Rodrigues’ claims don’t seem improbable.“Those who have been arrested and convicted are the small fry who are being used as scapegoats while the big and dangerous fish are untouched,” he said. “These include politicians and big business people.”Elephant poaching is becoming increasingly common with the growing demand for decorative and religious ornaments made out of ivory in China, Thailand and other Asian nations. One elephant is killed by poachers every 15 minutes, and two-thirds of the Tanzanian elephant population has been poached in the past three years — a statistic so upsetting to one Tanzanian official that he suggested shooting poachers on the spot rather than arresting them and holding fair trials. More....

The safari capital has blown up with controversy since tourism and natural resource minister Khamis Kagasheki warned poachers they could be shot on sight, without trial. Media houses from the East to the West took understandably negative views toward such Draconian measures, and human rights advocates within Tanzania spoke out against the sentiment, citing guarantees of basic human rights, and instances when legitimate hunters have been gunned down by mistake.

Environmental and wildlife advocates have maintained that poaching must be stopped at all costs, before elephants and rhinos are lost forever – and some find the law powerless to stop poachers mowing them down for their valuable ivory. Kagasheki made this point to the Arusha times, saying “court cases against poachers take very long and sometimes the culprits get acquitted.” Efforts like the global ‘Walk for Elephants’ and ‘March for Elephants’ have endeavoured to raise awareness, but the problem persists. Others have gone in quite different directions, such as seeking options for removing ivory from elephants without killing them. Arusha is the safari capital of the world, but is also historically a capital for the progress of social justice and human rights in Africa as the site of the eponymous Accords, Treaty and Declaration – so it should not be surprising that it is now host to such an intense struggle between the right to life for endangered animals, and that of poachers. There is a striking omission in the discourse. Safari tourism accounts for the majority of Arusha’s economy, which is poor even among Tanzanian cities, and for hundreds of guides, drivers, porters, cooks and organizers it is the only source of their income. The economic benefits of safari tourism play the biggest role in putting food on plates for tens of thousands more. It is held as a self-evident truth in the West that all men are entitled to a fair trial, and most in Arusha agree – but it’s another matter for those directly threatened by encroaching poachers and dwindling wildlife populations. “I agree with what the minister of natural resources said. Poachers, they should shoot,” said Mashaka. More....

In my last post I deployed the trite metaphor regarding an elephant in the room. I even had the gall to suggest that elephants are lazy creatures! Given that governmental ministers in Tanzania are now considering a “shoot-to-kill” policy against elephant poachers, thus backing a kind of jungle-based ad hoc capital punishment approach to the illicit ivory trade, I’m reconsidering the wisdom of using anti-elephant language. The word choice authorities hover over The Pitchfork with the eyes of an eagle (I think I’m okay on that one) and I’m feeling the wither of their gaze. In all seriousness, tens of thousands of elephants are killed by poachers every year in Africa and many advocates indeed believe that the threat of death may be the only effective deterrent. Good idea? Said one advocate (a natural resources minister): ”Poachers must be harshly punished because they are merciless people who wantonly kill our wildlife and sometimes wardens” said .. . . . . The only way to solve this problem is to execute the killers on the spot.” He added: ”I am very aware that some alleged human rights activists will make an uproar, claiming that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts as the next person, but let’s face it, poachers not only kill wildlife but also usually never hesitate to shoot dead any innocent person standing in their way.” Poaching is a murderous act that warrants the full weight of punitive justice. But death—especially when delivered under duress in the thick murk of the jungle—shouldn’t be a viable legal option. Authorizing open season on poachers would only antagonize an already enflamed situation, engendering more violence and habitat destruction. What’s instead needed is better funding of game wardens, better enforcement of existing laws, and programs that support a level of non-animal based economic development that makes poaching less of an alluring option for poachers caught in their own web of interlocking oppressions. Plus, advocates of animal rights, human rights, elephant rights, gay rights, civil rights, whatever rights, are almost always better off choosing ameliorative methods that do not implicitly condone what we’re trying to eliminate in the name of decency, compassion, justice, and peace.

The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki has announced unyielding measures against poachers which include proposing changes in law with regard to poaching. He has ordered wildlife rangers to execute directives aimed at curbing poaching including use of all possible force. Authorities recently announced intention to use the military in curbing poaching. "I am very aware that some human rights activists will make an uproar, claiming that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts as other persons, but let's face it, poachers not only kill wildlife but also usually they never hesitate to shoot dead any innocent person standing on their way," stated Mr Kagasheki. The Minister was speaking at the climax of the global 'Elephant March' held in 15 countries worldwide and in Tanzania. The about 5 kilometers mass walk was held on October 4 in Arusha, which is the country's capital for tourism. The march started in Majengo area and ended at the AICC Club grounds in Kijenge area, east of the city. The minister warned that illegal hunters gunning for elephant tusks have wealthy international barons backing their rackets thus well equipped with advanced weaponry and usually can afford all legal assistance. "That is why you always hear that, court cases against poachers take very long and sometimes the culprits get acquitted and the only way to solve this problem is to nip the problem in the bud," maintained Mr Kagasheki. He said a survey will soon be launched to find out how many elephants get killed in Tanzania. Some figures put it between 30 and 70 elephants per day. More....

The illegal ivory trade could be as much of a boon to armed rebel groups as it is bad for elephants. But is summary execution ever a good idea?

Tanzania, ground zero of Africa’s elephant poaching epidemic, is considering a controversial bit of legislation aimed at punishing the hunters that are wiping out 30 to 70 Tanzanian elephants a day. It’s just a teensy more severe than a regular old fine or jail time: On Friday, Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Khamis Kagasheki, suggested that the only way to get rid of poaching was to shoot poachers on the spot. Tanzania boasts as much as a quarter of all the elephants in Africa, but by some estimates, the country’s lost more than half its elephant population since 2007. Between 2009 and 2011, Tanzania ranked as the top exporter of black market tusks in the world."I am very aware that some alleged human rights activists will make an uproar, claiming that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts as the next person, but let's face it, poachers not only kill wildlife but also usually never hesitate to shoot dead any innocent person standing in their way," Kagasheki told AllAfrica.com. Kagasheki’s position, and the bill itself, marks a quick about-face from this time last year when the Tanzanian government asked the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) if it could sell off more than 100 tons of its massive ivory stockpile and decrease protection for the elephants still roaming the country’s ample grasslands. After already having been rejected by CITES in 2010 for requesting a similar move, Tanzania withdrew the proposal in January of this year. More....

A government minister in Tanzania has called for a “shoot-to-kill” policy against poachers in a radical measure to curb the mass slaughter of elephants. Khamis Kagasheki’s proposal for perpetrators of the illicit ivory trade to be executed “on the spot” divided opinion, with some conservationists backing it as a necessary deterrent but others warning that it would lead to an escalation of violence. There are already signs of an increasing militarisation of Africa’s wildlife parks with more than 1,000 rangers having been killed while protecting animals over the past decade, according to the Thin Green Line Foundation. Tanzania is said to have lost half its elephants in the past three years.“Poachers must be harshly punished because they are merciless people who wantonly kill our wildlife and sometimes wardens,” said Kagasheki at the end of an International March for Elephants, which took place in 15 countries to raise awareness of the poaching scourge. “The only way to solve this problem is to execute the killers on the spot.” Anticipating criticism, the natural resources and tourism minister added: “I am very aware that some alleged human rights activists will make an uproar, claiming that poachers have as much rights to be tried in courts as the next person, but let’s face it, poachers not only kill wildlife but also usually never hesitate to shoot dead any innocent person standing in their way.” Ivory has been dubbed the “white gold of jihad” by activists who say it is funding armed rebel groups including al-Shabaab, the militia behind the siege of the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that left at least 67 people dead. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a Kenyan conservation charity that organised last week’s protest march, says one elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its tusks and they could disappear from the wild by 2025. More....